Loose-leaf binder.



C. B. ALEXANDER.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1912.

1,165,305, Patented De0.21,1915.

coLu M'mA PLANOKIRAPH CO-,WASHINGTON, n. c.

FFKCE.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed March 30, 1812. Serial No. 687,425.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CLINTON ALEXAN- DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon. l l

I This invention relates to binders adapted for the reception of looseleaves or sheets of paper of any character, such as correspondence, bills, ledger leaves, etc., the objects of the invention being to provide a simple and mechanically eiiicient device which is capable of use in a large variety of situations, although more especially adapted for holding papers, bills, etc., in the form of a volume, which may be readily handled after the manner of an ordinary book with stifi covers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure having a widely variable capacity without being materially altered in appearance, and without the introduction of complications or the employment of proare found in many devices of this kind. A further object of the invention is to provide a structure which will securely retain the papers or leaves filed therein and which may be readily opened for the introduction or removal of leaves or papers with out the employment of separate tools or appliances.

Referring to, the accompanying draw: ings,-Figure 1 is a perspective view with portions broken away and in section of a loose leaf binder of the preferred form embodying the present improvements; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the two members of the retainer housing, slightly separated, the working parts of the retainer being entirely omitted; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a post gripping member; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken ina vertical plane longitudinally of one end of the retainer, showing its posi tion and the cooperation of the gripping members with one of the posts on which the papers or loose leaves are filed; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred form of releasing members for the post gripping members; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a modified form of the releasing members;

ectin retainin osts and arts, such as Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a filler or springtalre-up device; Fig. 8 is a sectional view through one of the dogs or gripping ends of the post gripping members of modified construction; Figs. 9 andlO are sectional eleyations showing modified arrangements of the mechanism for releasing the gripping members.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In Fig. 1 the binder is illustrated as embodying substantially rigid covers A between which the papers or loose leaves B are placed and held by the retaining mechanism to be presently described. While these covers are preferably employed, it will be understood that their employment is not essential to the present invention, but where employed they are connected by flexible portions a, one with the base C or the posts D upon which the loose sheets are filed, and the other with the retainer casing which is removably secured to the posts. The base C in which the posts D are firmly anchored may be of any preferred form or construction and the posts secured permanently therein at their lower ends in any well known manner. Said posts project from the base in substantial parallelism and may be conveniently of the usual known sectional type, whereby their length may be increased or decreased by adding or removing sections so as to increase or decrease the capacity of the binder.

For preventing the escape of the papers which have been perforated and placed upon the posts in the usual way, a retainer is provided, preferably embodying a housing formed by trough-like sheet metal sections E, E, the flanged edges of the sections being adapted to fit one within the other, and the two sections united by fingers or projections e on one section which are passed through apertures'e' in the other sec tion and havetheir ends bent over or offset to retain the parts rigidly in proper relative position. This construction of retainer housing is not only light and simple but is strong and may be readily formed of sheet metal with the use of comparatively simple diesl Vhere the posts are adapted to pass entirely through the casing, both sections are provided with holes or openings F for the posts, but where, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the retainer is adapted to be secured on the ends only of the post so that there will Bil be no projecting posts extending through the retainer, the under section only of the housing is provided with post receiving holes or apertures.

The post gripping mechanism and the releasing devices for the gripping mechanism are both located within the housing formed by the members E, E and embody oppositely disposed dogs or gripping members between which each post is received and releasing members extending from the gripping members out to the ends of the retainer, where they are formed into finger pieces, whereby the gripping members may be lifted so as to release the posts when it is desired to remove the retainer. The gripping members are spring-pressed and preferably embody leaf springs G which at one end are riveted or rigidly secured to the bottom housing member E and at their opposite ends project diagonally upward into proximity to the post openings. The ends of the springs are formed or provided with gripping faces which will permit the posts to readily enter between them, by slightly deflecting them upwardly, but will prevent the reverse movement of the posts until the gripping faces are lifted and released therefrom. Conveniently, the ends of the springs G are provided with heads or parts which might be properly termed dogs, preferably of aluminum or other light metal which will grip and hold securely on a smooth surface, said heads having at their end faces semi-cylindrical recesses g which are adapted to embrace the posts and flaring or tapered portions 9' which will facilitate the entry of the posts between the gripping faces 9. Obviously, said faces as well as the posts, may be roughened, knurled, corrugated, or toothed, as shown, for instance,

in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to cause a more effective locking action between the two.

Said faces may also be rounded or somewhat canrshaped, as shown, for instance, at g in Fig. 8. i

The releasing members are preferably formed by anarrow strip or strips, of metal,

which extend parallel with each edge ofthe housing and cross pins or projections for cooperating with and elevating the proximate ends of the post gripping members. As shown in Fig. 5, two entirely separate releasing members are provided with their bars or parallel portions 72, I1, overlapping and their intermediate portions 71. formed into finger pieces which are accessible through the ends of the retainer housing. The lower member E of the housingis recessed or cut away at e to give more ready access to the finger pieces of the releasing members. WVhere the releasingmembers ar made separate from each other, as in Fig. 5, the inner member is provided with apertures i for the reception of the'ends of pins the pins I, I,

I, passing through or under the locking members G on one side of each of the post openings, and the outer releasing member is provided with openings 71 for the reception of the ends of pins I which pass through or under the locking members on the opposite sides of the post openings, the

latter pins being adapted to pass through slot openings 2' 1n the inner releasing member. The pins through openings ing members and springs G'so that they the locking members and serve to position the releasing members. "With the construction of releasing members just'described, it will be noted that they may be moved toward and from each other, as well as lifted by inward and upward pressure'on the finger pieces h and consequently by placing one finger of each hand on the respective finger piecesand pressing inwardly and upwardly, the locking members will be moved upwardly and away from the posts so that the retainer may berea'dily removed, as oocasion requires.

When desired the releasing members may be made to release the gripping members when moved longitudinally, for instance, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In Fig. 9 the bars 7t, ii are provided with inclined'slots P for the slots in the twobars being, of course, inclined in opposite directions so as to cooperate in lifting the gripping members when the releasing members are moved longitudinally toward each other.

In Fig. 10 the bars h, h are both provided I and I" preferably pass cannot escape from with substantially V-shaped notches Q, in V which the ends of the. pins rest and whereby longitudinal movement of either or both of the releasing members will elevate the gripping members. p 7

While the formation of the releasing members in two pieces may be desirable,in-

asmuch as it makes the operation of the locking members somewhat easier, yet, it is entirely practical to form said releasing 'members in a single piece, as shown in spectively by the ends of the bars 7v will lift the lockingmembers and the slot openings 70 will permit of the necessarymovement of the ends of the. locking members toward and from each other, for it will be;

understood that their movement is a pivotal or swinging movement, as they move upwardly and away from the posts;

In order to give the binder the characteristic appearance of a book or volume, it is preferred to provide it with a backing L which is made of flexible material secured at one edge to the base C, and said backing is provided with a series of parallel post receiving openings Z, there being a suflicient number of such openings to hold the backing substantially straight when the binder contains any number of sheets within its capacity. It will be understood that this backing L is turned in over the papers before the retainer applied to the ends of the posts, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

In some instances it may be found desirable to provide means whereby the papers will be held close together even tho-ugh but few sheets be placed in the binder, and also to provide a means whereby the papers may be slightly separated for the insertion or removal of sheets where the post receiving openings are slitted out to the edge of the sheets, and for this object the present binder is provided with a spring take up, shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. It preferably consists of a strip of spring metal M perforated at m for the passage of the posts therethrough and having its portions at each end olfset at m and properly curved to constitute springs which may be flattened out by pressure on the papers, but which will ordinarily advance the papers to one side of the binder.

It may in some instance also be found to be necessary or desirable to provide a spacer for accurately positioning the posts, at a point some distance above the base C, particularly where long sectional posts are employed, and where this becomes desirable, one of the spring take-ups may be placed at an intermediate point in the papers, and in this instance the strip of metal may be left substantially straight. One of said spacers is indicated in Fig. 1 at N.

The binder constructed in accordance with the present invention, it will be noted is not only of a very substantial character, but is simple, compact and comparatively ineX-,

pensive. It will hold the papers in a com pact volume and is especially useful and desirable where papers are to be retained for ready reference in the form of a volume which may be handled after the manner of an ordinary book.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A binder such as described embodying a base, parallel posts rigidly mounted on the base and adapted for the reception of the papers to be held, and a retainer embodying a cross piece bridging the posts and embodying oppositely disposed spring pressed post gripping members for each post, and releasing members extending from the gripping members to the ends of the cross piece to form finger pieces.

2'. A binder such as described embodying a base, parallel posts rigidly mounted on said base and adapted for the reception of the papers to be held and a retainer embodying a housing forming a cross piece having post openings therein, oppositely disposed spring pressed post gripping members for each post mounted within the housing, and releasing members embodying longitudinally extending parallel bars on opposite sides oi. the gripping members, said releasing members extending to the ends of the housing to form finger pieces whereby the gripping members may be released.

3. A. binder such as described embodying a base, parallel posts rigidly mounted in the base and adapted for the reception of the papers to be held, and a retainer embodying oppositely disposed spring pressed post gripping members for each post, releasing members embodying bodily movable parallel bars on opposite sides of the gripping members extending to the end of the retaining members to form a finger piece, and transverse pins bridged between the bars and cooperating with the gripping and releasing members. whereby movement of the releasing members will be imparted to the gripping members.

4. A binder such as described embodying a base, parallel posts rigidly mounted in said base adapted for the reception of the papers to be held, and a retainer embodying a housing forming a cross piece having post openings therein, oppositely disposed spring pressed post gripping members for each post mounted in the housing, releasing members extending to the ends of the housing, and transverse pins intermediate the gri ping members and releasing members whereby movement of the releasing members is imparted to the gripping members.

5. A binder such as described embodying a base, parallel posts rigidly mounted in the base and adapted for the reception of the papers to be held and a retainer ei'nbodying a housing forming a cross piece, post receiving openings in said housing, post gripping l members formed by springs connected at their opposite ends with the housing and at their proximate ends having post gripping faces, releasing members arranged longitudinally in the housing and having finger pieces at the opposite ends of the housing and connections intermediate said releasing members and gripping members.

6. A binder such as described embodying a base, parallel posts rigidly mounted in the base and adapted for the reception of the papers to be held, and a retainer embodying a housing formed in longitudinal sections having interlocking projections whereby they are rigidly united, oppositely disposed spring pressed post gripping members for each post mounted within the housing and having their proximate faces formed with concave recesses for engagement with the posts, and releasing members extending longitudinally within the housing on opposite sides of the gripping members with connections intermediate said releasing and gripping members, whereby the gripping members may be elevated out of engagement with the posts.

7. A. binder such as described emliiodying a base, parallel posts rigidly mounted in said base and adapted for the reception of the papers to be held, and a retainer embodying a housing formed in longitudinal sections with interlocking projections for rigidly connecting the sections, gripping members formed by springs rigidly con nected at one end with the housing and at their proximate ends provided with concave post engaging faces, transverse pins in said gripping members, and releasing members embodying parallel bars extending longisides of the gripping members, and engaging said transverse pins for elevating the gripping members into releasing position.

8. 'In a binder such as described embodying a base having parallel posts projecting therefrom and a cross piece forming a retainer for the papers mounted on the posts, of post gripping members mounted within the retainer and embodying leaf springs secured at their outer ends to the retainer, post gripping heads mounted on the free proximate ends of the springs and having concave post engaging faces with inclined surfaces to facilitate the entry of the posts between the heads, transverse pins mounted in the heads and releasing members extending longitudinally of the retainer and cooperating with said pins.

CLINTON B. ALEXANDER;

\Vitnesses Tnoaras DURaN'r, HALBERT BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. i i 

